Barbara Lee Hosts Forum on Iran and Preemption Introduces Bill to Prevent Preemptive Attack, Stop Proliferation
(Washington, DC) – With the Bush administration’s increased saber-rattling towards Iran, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) and the Congressional Progressive Caucus convened a forum of experts to discuss current U.S. policy towards Iran, the potential implications of preemptive war with that country and non-military alternatives to addressing Iran’s nuclear ambitions and engaging Iran in efforts to strengthen regional stability by bringing an end to the civil war in Iraq.
“Congress must stand up and oppose another preemptive war like Iraq. More than that, Congress must discard the administration’s failed policy of preemption. Look at the outcomes of the Bush administration’s policy of preemption to date: North Korea now has nuclear weapons, Iraq is a quagmire and Iran is emboldened,” said Lee, who plans to introduce legislation today to prevent a preemptive attack on Iran and strengthen non-proliferation efforts against that country.
Lee’s bill, the Iran Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 2007, makes a statement of policy that the U.S. will “not to enter into a preemptive war against Iran in the absence of an imminent threat, and then only in accordance with international law and constitutional and statutory requirements for congressional authorization.” It also blocks the use of funds for “any covert action for the purpose of causing regime change in Iran or to carry out any military action against Iran in the absence of an imminent threat, in accordance with international law.” Finally, the bill declares that no previous act of Congress constitutes authorization to use military force against Iran and states that there should be no preconditions to engaging Iran in diplomatic dialogue.
The Forum, entitled “Engagement and Diplomacy, Alternatives to Preemption” featured Ken Katzman, CRS Middle East Policy Analyst and leading Iran expert; Dr. Paul Pillar, Professor at Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program and formerly a career National Intelligence Officer at the CIA; Col. Sam Gardiner, U.S. Air Force, retired; and Dr. Trita Parsi, President of the National Iranian-American Council.
Katzman discussed elements of current U.S. policy toward Iran, including the military, economic, diplomatic, and intelligence aspects.
Dr. Pillar explained the vital strategic and national interests of U.S. and Iran respectively and how they could be reconciled without the use of military force. “Sticks are important, but so are carrots and so is a framework for negotiations that is sufficiently broad to enable the necessary bargains to be struck. All of these currently are lacking. U.S. policy has been all sticks. European policies have been disproportionately carrots, and in any event it is the United States that holds some of the most important carrot,” said Pillar in a prepared statement.
Col. Gardiner talked about recent changes in U.S. military posture in relation to Iran and what recent pronouncements by President Bush and Vice-President Cheney say about the Bush Administration’s policy objectives and intentions. “The White House has established a Media Outreach Working Group whose mission is to establish international outrage against Iran. We’re seeing a pattern very much like the run up to the invasion of Iraq,” said Col. Gardiner in a prepared statement.
Dr. Parsi addressed the inner workings of the Iranian body politic and how they should inform U.S. policy toward Iran in general and the growing nuclear proliferation controversy in particular. “Unless there is a marked shift towards dialogue and diplomacy, the two countries will continue to gravitate towards conflict. Congress can play a decisive role to prevent the situation from escalating out of control. If the President refuses to engage in diplomacy, then perhaps Congress should take on that responsibility,” said Dr. Parsi.
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